Run
by PercyJacksonLover14
Summary: Pepper's life was all fine before with just her dad and herself in the comfy apartment. That is, until a special someone, an unwelcome divorced woman, entered the household. Pepper's mother was back and all she brought was trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: RUN

**Groan… I honestly didn't want to post this… Not even one bit! I wanted minimize the amount of stories I had to update, just because I don't want to loose my train of thought and have to update a lot of chapters. But then again… you know what? Please enjoy! I honestly don't have anything else to say! **

** See… The last time, which was couple of months ago, I started to get bored with updating some of my stories because they were so repetitive. It was crazy, and I couldn't think of anything because of all the stories I had to update! Then I made a promise that I had to update every story at least every WEEK! Agh… it was terrible with 5 stories per week. So I wanted to stick with 2… but now here is 3. Then I am writing another story for Danny Phantom, making it 4. **

** Long story short… I might not update some stories more than often! So sorry! **

**Disclaimer: Blah… **

Everyday truly was magical. At least that was what Pepper had to think. She couldn't imagine her real life... No it was too painful. But she would think about her life now. Her handsome boyfriend, her best friend, and her miserable life.

Pepper's mom had come back to talk to Virgil of what happened before the divorce. Pepper was overjoyed! Ecstatic and just wonderful! Her parents were together again and there wouldn't be anything better than having a family again. All was well and Pepper was happy. But only 3 weeks ago her dad died. It seemed as if he died in his sleep which was totally strange considering the fact that she was with her dad the whole time until bedtime.

It was finally over. The funeral was an open casket and almost everyone in town came. Tony's family, Rhodey's family, Virgil's family, the FBI, the cops, nearly everyone. They always came over to Pepper said that they were sorry and blah blah blah. She didn't want to hear that junk... She just wanted them to shut up as she was using this moment to recollect her thoughts. Her mom was bawling and thanking those who came.

People came and left, saying sorry taking a look at the body. Pepper didn't want to smear her makeup but a tear or two made its way down her flushed cheeks. Pepper went to take a look at her dad one last time and found a small but long red mark that ran across Virgil's neck.

It looked as if someone had pulled a wire around his neck. Pepper leaned into the coffin as if she was going to kiss her dad's forehead. Squinting her eyes she finally understood.

Pepper gasped. "My daddy was murdered." She said in a whisper. Janice, Pepper's mother, walked up to Pepper and put a firm hand around her shoulder.

"He looks peaceful doesn't he? Your father would be absolutely proud of you. And you look absolutely beautiful Patricia." Janice remarked smiling warmly.

"It's Pepper mom. And thanks." She looked down at herself. Pepper was in a strapless sweetheart necked, short black dress that stopped just above her knees. Her top half was sparkled in black beads and she wore a black pearled necklace and earrings. To top it off she wore 3 inch black heels with a strap that wrapped around her ankle. Her father had chosen this dress once, it was when her grandma had passed away. She remembered how his eyes sparkled as he wrapped an arm around his daughter. He gave her head a kiss and told her she was always his baby princess.

"I'll be outside." Janice gave a much more painful squeeze and walked away crying. But Pepper knew better. Those tears were fake. Pepper looked at her shoulder where her mother had painfully gripped her shoulder. The nail marks remained red, in her pale skin.

"I'm sorry for your lose." Pepper turned and faced an electric eye Prince Charming. His hair was a mess but very beautiful and he wore a suit. He unbuttoned the buttons on his suit coat and put his hand on his hips, letting the suit fly out behind him.

"He was a wonderful man. That and well... I really looked up to him as a second dad." The blue eyes focused on her.

"Hi Tony." Tony turned towards her and his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Thanks. But I wish he was here so that he could hear you say that." He slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a small squeeze. Then he took the moment to give her a small gentle kiss, a reassuring one.

"He won't be forgotten Pepper." He glanced down at Virgil's still body and frowned. "Wait. Pepper... What's that?" He pointed to the red mark.

"Pepper. Your dad was murdered?" She nodded surprised about Tony's quick catch.

"You've got to be kidding! I thought that your dad was at your house! I didn't think that he had any missions!"

"He didn't." Tony's face twisted into a puzzled look.

"But it was just your mom, dad, and you. You wouldn't do it. And your dad obviously wouldn't do it to himself. But... Your mom? How? Why?" He really did catch on pretty quickly. That's what you get from a genius.

"My mom probably thinks that she didn't do anything wrong. It was her fault you know. She left him. She seriously probably killed my dad. Tony?" She hadn't heard him say anything. And when she turned around Tony was gasping for air. His head red, and an arm around his neck.

"TONY!" She ran forward only to be sent back by a face. "Mom." Her mother made a tsk-tsk sound.

"Come any further he will die. Poor Tony... No air to breath. And his heart monitor needs oxygen right Tony?" He nodded when the arm tightened. "Oh and one more thing Tony. Stay away from my daughter." Janice tightened the arm and Tony collapsed to the floor. It was getting weirder and weirder.

Pepper quickly ran to Tony's side and shook his shoulder. "Tony! Wake up! Are you okay?" Tony opened his eyes and gasped.

"Where's your mom?!" He shouted. He looked around and scrambled onto his feet. Pepper looked sullenly at the coffin and at Tony. Suddenly she couldn't hold it in anymore. Bursting into tears Pepper bawled.

Her mom was back and she couldn't even enjoy it. Her mother was a murder! What did her dad ever do to her? He was so sweet! And now he was gone... Gone. She felt Tony's hands and arms wrap around her waist. She gripped his arms as she was lifted to her feet. Burying her face into his suit, she continued her sniffles but listened to the gentle hum of the arc reactor. For some reason it calmed her down.

A hand went onto her bare back and rubbed circles. His hands were warm and they embraced her, saying that everything would be all right. Shivering slightly she continued sniffling and finally pulled away. She looked down at Tony's shirt and gasped. Tear stains, and black mascara stained his plain white shirt. Embarrassed she grabbed her black scarf and started dabbing her mess. Tony chuckled and tilted his head. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Sorry. I just don't know what to think. My dad... And if you get hurt. I would be able to handle it, if I wasn't my mom. But..." Taking in a shaky breath she walked forward again and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you."

"I'm pretty sure I said that you weren't allowed near my daughter." It was instant. The dating couple pulled away and stood arm length away from each other. Janice leaned against the door frame and eyed tony with a venomous stare. He blushed shyly and gulped as she walked up to him.

"Don't touch him Janice!" Pepper cried out. Janice stopped and looked back at Pepper.

"Excuse me? You do not call me by my name."

"Says who?" Pepper snapped. "Your no mom of mine. Your a murder and you have to be brought back to justice." Pepper stood straight her small frame bold and strong.

"Aw. How cute. You sound just like your dad. But he ended up dying you know." Janice said. She looked back at Tony and smirked. Grabbing a knife from her cleverly concealed pocket, she jabbed it into his chest.

"MOM! NO! TONY!" His face paled but he slumped onto Janice's shoulder. He gagged as she stroked his hair.

"I said stay away. Get it? Got it? Good..." She let him go and he fell to the floor, on his back. Pepper stood shocked. What did Tony ever do to her? Why was Tony getting hurt? Why was Tony even mixed in this?

Nothing made sense to her. All that did was that Tony was nearly dead and she had to hurry.

Bolting next to his side, Pepper noticed three things. One, Tony's face was pale as in dead pale. Two, the heart monitor was squirting out electricity, which meant that she might not be able to touch him. And three, Tony wasn't exactly "breathing." His inhalations were raspy and wheezed as if his lungs were forcing the air out of him, rather than keep them in his lungs.

Pepper was taught what to do. In face Tony taught her. She reached into her purse and pulled out an emergency case portable heart monitor that she always carried with her. It wasn't very reliable for Iron Man type stuff, but it was good enough for him to walk around and go home to get a better heart monitor.

Pepper eyed around the room looking for anything that might give up the fact that she was saving him. Sure enough she noticed a small, concealed camera zooming and un-zooming. She quickly threw open her purse ad found pepper spray. It'll have to do.

Pepper clutched the small trigger and walked towards the camera, she didn't look into it until she pushed the trigger of the spray. The intensity of the spice and pepper short circuited the camera and it made a whirring sound before powering off.

Pepper quickly ran back towards Tony and got started immediately. It was a simple procedure. Not to hard, but not easy at the same time. She gingerly, almost with hesitation, began undoing his buttons on his shirt. She didn't feel comfortable, but it was either her feelings or her love.

She only undid enough to see his arc reactor completely. Getting up swiftly she ran towards the open door to the coffin room, looked outside, and slammed it shut. Locking the door, she found black funeral butcher paper, and taking her nail polish, glued up the paper in front of the window.

Pepper walked back towards Tony and finally noticed the small amount of scorched marks that ran across his well muscular chest. She fought the urge to touch those muscles she adored. They weren't bulging, she didn't like those, but they were quite fine.

Finally she slowly removed the knife, Tony didn't move but the heart monitor did it for him. It buzzed and threw out spark. Pepper leaned away until the electric particles died down. Now that she removed the knife, she had to move quickly. Who knew how much time Tony had?

During the whole procedure of removing the heart monitor and hooking up the portable one, she kept glancing at the door. Strangely no one was there looking for her. No one came in. No one knocked. She dint know what to think. Should she be worried? Relived? Happy? Sad?

As she finally pushed the heart monitor in, she counted for 30 seconds before turning the device. It clicked, signifying that it was locked it. Finally Tony's skin returned to its normal California beach boy color, and Tony's eyes opened. He breathed out softly and his eyes remained focused on the ceiling.

"I'm so happy I taught you and Rhodey how to do that. Who knew today would be the day that you used it on me?" Tony groaned slightly as he pulled himself to sit. Looking down at himself, he blushed ever so slightly, and started buttoning up his white stained shirt.

Pepper smiled but looked alarmed. Tony's smirk disappeared. "How about we leave. The priest will be here soon." Pepper nodded and let Tony pull her up.

Tony quickly pulled off the butcher paper and he opened the door. "Do you mind?" Tony held an arm out, gesturing to Pepper that he wanted to wrap an arm around her waist. Smiling softly, she nodded her red locks bouncing in response.

Tony put a hand in his pocket and the other tightly around Pepper. In fact she yelped when he tightly pulled her against him. His eyes flickered around the party and it was obvious that he was looking for Janice. His warm eyes were reduced to mere dead glares. Pepper didn't this reaction from Tony ever in her life. It was full of brutal fear. Pepper actually wanted to get out of his grasps but she knew better. He would risk his life to save her.

"There she is..." Pepper ushered out. She didn't point but Tony followed her gaze. Sure enough Janice was talking to someone. Occasionally smiling and drinking her wine. She seemed to loose interest in the conversation because she started to look around the park the funeral was gonna be held. Her eyes suddenly laid upon Tony and Pepper. She noticed the hand on her daughters hip and her eyes grew dark.

Pepper heard Tony gulp and his grip on her waist tightened to the point it hurt. She glanced down at his hands which were white. "Let... Let's get out of here." But it was too late, Janice had excused herself and was coming towards the two. Tony stood his ground and eyed Janice carefully. She was after all about 4 inches shorter.

"Hello Patricia. Anthony." Then she lowered her voice. "I would take your hand off if I were you." Tony obliged but his hand was put back by Pepper. Her eyes steel and jaw tight.

"He's gonna be mine... Mom." She strained that last part out. "You killed dad. You lost your chance at love. I'm not going too. I love him. I love him. I LOVE TONY STARK!" Pepper screamed. Everyone turned towards the group. Pepper shouted out again. "JANICE POTTS KILLED MY DAD!" Gasps erupted around the park and before Janice knew many people toppled on top of her. Pulling her to the earth Janice screamed at Pepper to help. Instead Pepper smiled evilly and pulled on Tony's tie. He yelped and her lips crashed on his.

Pulling away at last she walked away with Tony at her heel. "I've had it with my mom. I don't know why..." A large gasp erupted behind the couple. When they turned they noticed that the crowd on top of Janice dissipated.

Janice Potts was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**I got so many reviews! Well 6 is a lot to me! Thanks so much guys! It deserves some shout outs!**

**Haytar96- Thank you! Was it really intense? That means a lot to me!**

**XXSimplySunshineXx- you are just a sweetheart! You are the sweetest! Thank you! I try! And yes… I believe that guns are too common! That wire idea was something I got watching Burn Notice! Haha!**

**SilverPedals1402- Thank you! I try my best to make it suspenseful and as you said, I hope it will be a wonderful story as well!**

**Guest- Spooky? Haha thanks! I try!**

**MarvelandDClover- Well I'm gonna keep the chapters flowing! **

**GuestAK12- Well here's the update! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a zip!**

"No… That can't be!" Pepper pushed the crowd off of the ground and stood back looking at the trampled grass. "Janice is gone. But how?" Pepper ran her hand through her hair. She turned around, scanning the green horizon of the cemetery.

"This can't… She was attacked! Horded by them! She couldn't have just slipped away!" Pepper suddenly got hit with an idea. She walked towards the exact spot her mother had fallen to the ground. She kneeled carefully, letting her dress fall between her legs. Pepper touched the ground, she felt the ground, and she carefully scanned the grassy mess. Tony got down next to her.

"Notice this?" She asked placing her fingers on the smashed ground. Tony looked puzzled and put his fingers in the exact spot Pepper put hers.

"It's… Pepper, the ground… the grass is fake!" She nodded. This was where her father's F.B.I. skills came in handy; she used her skills to examine the field in where she was.

"And knock on the grass." Tony agreed and knocked his fist on the ground. He listened carefully and heard a hollow hum.

"Wow. There is probably a tunnel underground that your mom…" He noticed a glare. Tony cleared his throat and corrected his mistake. "That Janice escaped through. She must've had a remote or… WHOA!" Tony had pushed on a certain point of the fake ground, which had rotated, throwing Tony down into the tunnel.

"Well… Hello there." He said looking across the dirty ground. "She must've gone this way!" Tony yelled through the sealed ground.

"How do you know?" Pepper shouted back. There was no response. "Tony?" Her cousins, and friends of her father had dissipated; letting Pepper get the time she wanted with her investigation.

"Yeah! There are tracks here! They look like… They look like Janice's knee imprints Pepper. She definitely went this way." Pepper nodded and quickly stood up. After waiting for the blood to rush back into position, she pushed her foot against the fake ground and let the "door" spin. She caught it in her hand and glanced down at Tony.

"Come on up Tony." He nodded and scrambled to his feet. After getting up out of the trench, he dusted himself off and put his hands on his hip.

"She staged all of this. She planned everything. Janice knew about the whole thing about your family finding out about the murder. She wanted this to happen." Pepper looked up at Tony with amazement. She couldn't feel anything but proud about her boyfriend. Tony was the perfect boyfriend, and she knew she chose well.

"You… You're right! All right I got a plan." Pepper pulled Tony near her and moved away from the center of the cemetery. She quickly explained her idea and glanced at Tony from time to time looking for an approval. All he did was hold her hand and occasionally give a squeeze to show his support.

"All right then. It's a done deal. I'll wake you up at 5 and at 6 we should be ready." Tony whispered, patting her shoulder. Pepper nodded and gently kissed him, making it look as if Tony just was talking to her about her father. Then, while no one was looking, she grabbed her pepper spray and handed it to Tony.

"Spray me."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Tony screeched. Pepper glared at him and shook her head.

"NO! We got to make it look as if I was crying about my mom! If they find out about our plan…" She gulped. "Tony they won't even let me out of Rhodey's house. They might even make me move into my Aunt Jessie's house! It was hard enough for my family to even leave me with you guys! Just do it!" Pepper closed her eyes. Tony looked at her beautiful clear face and growled. He knew that she was right. All of this was hard enough on the family. If the plan were to be secretly let out by any way, then everything would go down hill. Pepper would have to leave New York, and Tony would NOT be able to let that go down easy.

"Alright. I'm not going to enjoy this." He grumbled. Tony stepped back, and aimed the nozzle into the air above Pepper. She held her breath as she felt the gentle waterfall. _I hate my life. _Pepper opened her eyes, only to shut them just as quickly. She gasped, holding her scream, and pushed her hands into her eyes.

"Pepper?" She used her best hearing skills and walked into Tony's arms. She was now literally crying. This was beyond painful. She never knew the spray hurt that much! And she had only opened her eyes a peep!

She felt arms wrap around her body as she cried into Tony's shirt. She felt his chest rise quickly and fall quickly, as well as his rapid breathing. He was probably dying of guilt, once again, that sweetheart.

After the pain ceased, she rubbed away the access water and made sure to leave a few tearstains. "Okay, let's make this worth it."

…

After a long day of "sorry for your loose" and "your mother is evil!" Pepper was glad she was able to crash onto her new bed in her new house. Pepper had tried to convince Roberta that she could just stay at a motel, or a girl house, but Roberta just glared at her.

"You are not going to live at that FILTHY dormitory! And you of all people should understand that this family has PLENTY of money." And last Pepper had agreed.

Pepper thought of her day, her long painful day. First her dad passed away, then her mother turns out to evil, AND NOW the plan that Tony and Pepper had thought about. They had included Rhodey into the plan and already gave him his task. Rhodey was to distract his mom and tell her that both Tony and Pepper were in Miami, because Pepper wanted a week away from home with her boyfriend. It was an acceptable excuse and Roberta did in fact want Pepper to have a "break." Going to Miami is a break, right?

Pepper stared up at the blank ceiling and slowly settled her busy mind. "Alright Potts, go to sleep." She slowly closed her eyes, bracing herself for Tony's wake up call.

_"What?" Pepper looked around. It was her old home! The apartment. Pepper glanced around the room and noticed a pink bed and a slumbering figure within the bed. Gasping, she noticed her body, the closed eyes, and the rising of the sheets. Looking down at herself, Pepper wasn't all surprised; she was a ghost like figure, an aura so to speak. _

_ Once Pepper was used to the hovering capabilities she made her way towards the kitchen. The clock must be there, that way Pepper would know what time it was at night. "Midnight…" She ushered. This was the time her father was… MURDERED! _

_ Panic seized the teenager as she ran, or hovered, towards her father's bedroom. The door, sure enough, was open the light illuminating light spreading out into the hallway. Pepper then noticed a shadowy figure that crept across the light. Take a guess… _

_ Pepper floated into the room and let herself float through the door. Janice stood over the slumbering man on the bed. A thin book hid his face, his hand was across his chest, his cloths were still in uniform, and so Virgil had just come back from a mission. Unfortunately, Pepper was asleep so she wouldn't have known that her father had come back. _

_ Janice hovered over Virgil, her face set in a smirk, her hands grasping a thin fishing line wire. Wait! That was Pepper's dad's favorite wire! That was not cool. Pepper watched in horror as the book was tossed aside and the wire was slammed down against Virgil's throat. He had opened his eyes in alarm; his face was in shear panic. Janice sat on top of him, smiling as she cocked her head to the side seeing the man squirm under her grip. No sound was audible except for the thrashing and squeaking of the bed. _

_ Pepper clamped her mouth shut in horror as tears fell down her ghostly face. Virgil seemed to be looking straight at her as he said his last three words, "Pepper… Pepper… Pepper…"_

"Pepper? Pep, wake up." Pepper opened her eyes slowly and let her eyes focus on a set of blue eyes. They looked alert and excited. "Pepper, you were having a bad dream. Come on wake up." Sniffling and rubbing away some tears, Pepper sat up on her bed and glanced at the red bright flashing light that displayed the time. It was exactly 5:00 in the morning. When Tony meant business he meant business.

"Well you're early." Was her only comment. She slipped out of her bed and got to the ground. She heard Tony chuckle as she slipped her suitcase out from under the elongated bed.

"Well… unlike you, I couldn't sleep." Pepper frowned.

"Well unlike you Tony, I had a nightmare! I'd rather NOT sleep thank you very much." Now it was Tony's turn to frown. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" Pepper bit her lip, as much as she wanted to spill her heart out to him, she had to bold it off. It wasn't the time to tell Tony about the actual truth of her father's death.

"Not now. I… I need some time to think about it. Maybe after all this is over and my mom goes to jail, that's when I will probably tell you." Tony nodded in understanding and quickly swept her onto her feet.

"Get going Princess. We haven't got all day." He nodded towards the brightly lit bathroom door. Pepper stuck her tongue at him and shuffled towards the bathroom.

…

Pepper took a total of 20 minutes, which in her case, was an all time record. She had brushed her teeth, taken a bath, and got her outfit on. Pepper knew that she had to pack light, but she also knew that she would be gone all week, so she also had to make sure to scrub down COMPLETELY. Pepper didn't forget an inch of her body.

Glancing at the mirror she made sure she looked complete. Pepper had her hair up in a ponytail. She made sure to keep an extra hair tie on her wrist. She wore a black v neck t-shirt, a black silky jacket (hey it can rain anytime!), black cargo pants with a black belt, and to top it off her black and pink sneakers. She looked like a thief, but she had to make sure she could not only travel at night but also travel in the shadows during the day. If her mom could kill her father in cold blood, Janice must be a trained spy.

"Ready." Pepper stepped out and spun on her heel. Tony looked her up and smiled giving her thumbs up.

"Perfect." Tony on the other hand was wearing his normal red shirt, but had on some black cargo pants, something similar to hers but it had more pockets. He also wore his black and red shoes and wore a dark black jacket. If not for Tony's red shirt, Pepper and Tony would have been nearly similar.

Tony tossed her a backpack, sure enough it was black, but he made sure to get one with some pink as well. What a darling.

"What's this?" She asked opening the bag.

"Just anything you might need for the week we are gone. Trust me, a week will seem like months." Pepper opened her bag and found the following things: socks, undergarments (she's going to talk to him later about this), flashlight, batteries, binoculars, rope, granola bars, juice boxes, about 100 in cash (probably for emergencies), and some extra clothing.

"Your backpack?" Pepper asked with a questioning look. Tony shook his head.

"Mine is just my armor. That's why nearly everything we need is in yours. We need Iron Man in case things go downhill Pepper." Pepper sighed and nodded it was the truth. If Janice tried attacking, or someone was coming after them, Iron Man might be the only thing saving them from life or death.

"That and I added some stuff in your backpack. I have some scraps I need in case I need to invent something quickly. Oh and make sure you know where the first aid kit is, in case of emergency." Tony put a finger on his chin. "Okay, that should be everything. Ready to go?" Pepper smiled, nodded, and pulled the backpack on her shoulders. Strapping on the buckle of the backpack, Pepper followed Tony out her window and jumped out, landing safely in his arms.

Stepping away, Tony pushed the button on his chest and calmly waited for the armor to envelope him. Tony pulled on Pepper's waist, teasingly, winked to her, and flew into the air. They had better get started quickly.

It was time for their plan to be put into action. Operation: Find Janice and tell her the true meaning of justice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Run

**I've been gone for way too long. I apologize** **and hope that this chapter makes up for that! I typed this is on my phone so sorry if there are mistakes! Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm planning to make some shout outs in my next chapter!**

Disclaimer: Oh please….

It was almost 6 in the morning by the time Pepper and Tony reached the cemetery. They carefully retraced their steps and made sure to leave any evidence on the clean puffy grass.

"Here." Pepper said. She extended her hand and pointed to the grass on the floor. Tony walked over and placed his palm on the ground. Shaking the dirt off his hand, he stood and nodded.

"Pepper. You do know that the moment we enter the tunnel... We can't come back until we find her?" Pepper paled, for a second, and nodded. She gritted her teeth, and sucked in a breath.

"Tony. We wasted enough time as it is. We should get going. But just in case something happens..." Pepper pulled on Tony's neck and kissed him. This might be her last time. She knew that her mother was a ravishing beast. Tony just held her waist, and that was enough to kill him.

"Ladies first." Tony kicked on the fake ground and held it still. Pepper nodded and slowly lowered herself onto the dry dirt floor. She pulled out her flashlight from her bag and turned it on. She scanned the floor and the tunnel. It was nicely built.

The tunnel was about 3 feet high, just enough to crawl, and same as the width. She heard Tony fall behind her. The tunnel was also perfect. There were no roots from the grass, and no bugs. Her mother went the extra way.

"Ready?" She looked behind her. She noticed how long she was observing the tunnel.

"Oh yeah... Right. Sorry." Pepper began her crawls. The tunnel was endless. It seemed to keep going on and on.

What seemed like and hour later, Pepper collapsed. She was exhausted. When she checked her watch, it had only been 30 minutes since they started. She didn't know why the tunnel was so hot.

"Pepper. Are you okay?" Tony stopped as well. He gently propped her up on the tunnel wall. His face was beaded with sweat.

"It's so hot in here Tony! Why is it so hot?" Tony merely shrugged.

"Well the heat from the ground gets trapped in the ground. And well, we're here." Pepper nodded.

"Let's move." And they continued. Tony didn't want to argue. Pepper was already sour enough that her mother just almost killed him, that and her father. Tony couldn't believe that Pepper's father was dead. Virgil was a role model, a father, and a believer. And bam, in one night he was gone. He couldn't imagine how Pepper was. She was a brave girlfriend, but he couldn't imagine holding in that much pain. He had lost his own father. That was horrible. Tony couldn't imagine his life without a father, but when it happened it felt more as a dream.

"Tony stop. I think we're here." Tony looked up. Sure enough a light was illuminating from the top. "Looks like a man hole doesn't it?"

"It does. Hang on. I got an idea." He pushed his palm against the centerpiece and waited as his suit engulfed him. He then crawled across the ground and looked up. Scanning the tunnel he waited until the blueprints of whatever was above them showed up on the screen.

"Safe. It's a forest." Pepper nodded and giggled. "What?"

"I can't imagine Iron Man crawling in the tunnel. But now, here he is!" Tony looked down and groaned.

"I just got this suit waxed!"

...

Rhodey got up around 8. It was a little later than he normally gets up, but he couldn't sleep with everything that was going on. Janice Potts, well now Janice Marie, a murder. A spy even. His main goal was to help Tony and Pepper but it wouldn't matter if his mother found out.

When Rhodey noticed the clock he sprang from his bed and quickly rushed out of the room. He threw open Tony's door and saw it empty. And sure enough a note on the bed read: "Be back soon. Be careful. And thanks." Short simple and to the point.

Rhodey then ran to Pepper's room. It was empty as well, and thankfully the suitcase was neatly stashed under her bed. It was neatly hidden; no one could find it unless they were on their hands and knees. But Rhodey had an excuse in case his mom found the suitcase.

"RHODEY!" His blood turned into ice. He ruffled up his cloths and rubbed his eyes repeatedly to make it look as if he just woke up. And he walked out.

"Yeah mom?" Roberta was frantically dialing someone on her cell phone repeatedly.

"Why isn't Tony answering his phone?! I checked his room! No one there! And Pepper wasn't there either!" Roberta's eyes were wide with fear and she was biting her fingernails feverishly.

"Mom! Chill! It's alright!" Roberts looked up at Rhodey. "Tony and Pepper decided to go to Miami. You know after Virgil's death and you know Janice." Roberta stood stunned.

"Well it wouldn't have hurt both Tony or Pepper to tell me that. I'm okay with them going. What a relief." She looked up at Rhodey. "Want some French toast?"

...

Tony gently lifted Pepper out of the tunnel. It was only noon, but it was as if they hiked up the Himalayas for 5 days. Pepper was coated in a fine layer if sweat, whereas Tony was swimming in his own sweat.

"Well which way?" Pepper asked. She dusted her hands on her pants and scanned the densely packed forest. Tony retracted his suit and turned a 360.

"I'm not sure. Oh great... I could've done a heat signature check. That way the suit could find Janice's heat signature from yesterday!"

"Well what's keeping you?" Pepper asked.

"Uh... I'm lazy..." Tony replied with a smirk. Pepper jumped on him and slapped him on the arm until Tony surrendered.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST CRACKED A JOKE LIKE THAT WHILE WE ARE IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS!" She screamed. Tony only gulped and smiled.

"Okay! I'm sorry. Here I'll do it." Tony touched the centerpiece once again and waited until the suit engulfed him. "Computer, scan for a heat signature from yesterday."

"Scanning for a heat signature from yesterday." The mechanical feminine voice replied.

"Do you have to respond with the exact words I said?" Tony asked. Then he quickly added, "Don't reply to that." Soon he saw a dark blue trail that hovered from the neon green ground. Sure enough he saw the whole trail.

"This way Pepper." Tony looked behind him and saw her drawn face. She was exhausted. Getting up that early and then having to crawl in a tunnel that is about a mile long.

With a smile he walked towards her and swooped her into his arms. He gently made sure that the metal from the armor wasn't too harsh on her back or legs. He gently let her head fall onto his armored shoulder. And with a huff he began his walk following the heat trail.

**Please please review! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: R

**Yay! I'm finally updating this darn story! I only have three stories to manage but now it's getting harder and harder to think of some kind of plot for each of them! Okay without further ado, some shout outs!**

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Pepper felt her legs sway. Her head and body ached from exhaustion and her throat begged for water. "Tony…" She croaked. She didn't bother opening her eyes, the sun beat down on her face and the light was unbearable.

"Pep… Pepper!" There was a huff. Suddenly, Pepper sat up in his arms, receiving a groan in the process.

"How long were you carrying me?" She asked. Tony had taken off his armor, probably because it was pointless wearing a heavy armor in a small forest.

"A couple of hou… hours." Pepper pushed on his arms and heard him yelp. She flung herself to the floor and defiantly brushed off the falling dirt on her shirt. She watched as Tony rubbed at his sore arms. His face was elongated in exhaustion.

"You could have at least waked me up!" She didn't know why she was so angry. That was sweet of him for carrying her all this way. But something about it just angered her, the way he smiled at her, the way his eyes always gleamed, she… Pepper ran up to him and forcefully kissed him. She had no idea what was going through her mind.

Pepper felt Tony resist her, he tried pulling away, but Pepper didn't allow for that to happen. She held on, she pushed until she ran out of breath. Pepper finally pulled away and watched Tony gasp for air. He put his fingers on his lips and stared at her through wide blue orbs. "Why did you do that?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"I… I don't know. I just…" Pepper thought about this. She pondered on it quietly and wondered why she did kiss him. She finally found her answer. "Tony… You've been with me, and you didn't even consider leaving me alone in this. I… I love you." Tony smiled; it grew so wide that he then started to grin.

"I love you too Pepper, but what is necessary to bruise my delicate lips?" Pepper punched his arm playfully and laughed. After she calmed down, Pepper looked at her pink and black watch. She glanced up at the sky and looked at the high set sun.

"Why don't we have some lunch?" She asked. Tony, dramatically, grabbed his stomach and cringed with the thought.

"I can't wait to see what you will make me."

….

After a delicious meal of 2 granola bars and 2-juice box, the two teens stretched and Tony yawned. He glanced up at the sky and saw the now setting sun. It was about 2 o'clock.

"Well…" Tony said stretching. "I'm going to take a quick nap." He placed his backpack by a tree trunk and gently laid his head down on the pack. Tony glanced up at Pepper and he patted the soft green grass next to him. Raising an eyebrow he waited for a response. With a shrug, Pepper pulled off her backpack and lay down next to him. She placed her back against his body and felt his chin on her shoulder.

"Comfortable?" Pepper nodded smiling. She felt Tony's arm snake around her waist, but she felt it reassuring, and she felt comforted that she had something familiar next to her.

Pepper pulled her jacket around Tony and let her sleeve hand hang around her waist. With a sigh she closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

…

About, what seemed like 2 hours later, Pepper was urgently shaken awake. Just as she was about to through a tantrum, a soft warm hand covered her lips. "Pepper!" Tony hissed. "Get up now!" She moaned, not wanting to open her eyes, but she obliged and gently opened them. Tony was on top of her, his eyes stony and dark.

"Tony what's the matter?" She asked, suddenly aware of his darkened attitude. She tried sitting up, but Tony forced her back down. "What…?"

"Shut up Pepper!" He had never said that to her ever. He was always so gentle with her, but today seemed to be an exception. What on earth got him so anxious?

His eyes darted over to her left. She gazed over there too, even though his hand was covering her mouth, and it wasn't so comfortable either. She finally noticed something darting towards the right and then back left. It kept jumping back and forth like that until, finally, it was gone.

"What was that?" Pepper finally asked after prying Tony's bruising hand.

"I don't- AH!" Tony fell onto his back. Something was on top of him, a large black 4-legged animal, creature thing. Pepper screamed and jumped up very suddenly. It looked like a panther.

"Tony!" He was groaning in frustration as the things claws neared his face and its teeth were nearing his nose. Tony turned his head quickly to the side before it bit him.

"Pepper!" Tony screamed. "GET YOUR KNIFE!" Pepper never thought it came to the point where she would have to kill something, but she quickly reached into her backpack and pulled out a small Red Cross pocketknife. She feebly opened up the knife and ran towards her boyfriend, who seemed to be losing energy.

"KILL IT! OR DO SOMETHING!" Tony cried out. Suddenly he wailed, the panther's claws had scrapped his ribs. "HURRY!" He added. Pepper threw her hand back and shoved the knife into the ribs of the enormous black coat of the creature. It growled as Pepper pulled the knife out and, painfully, pushed it back in. The panther finally crept away, its eyes glaring menacingly at Pepper and Tony. And soon enough, it ran into the forest.

Pepper turned to her boyfriend and lifted him to his feet. There was some blood that coated his fingers but other than that, he seemed all right. "Tony are you okay?" He looked at her and grinned.

"Well that woke us up huh?" Pepper smiled and giggled. She noticed Tony wince.

"Here why don't you sit down? I hope there is enough bandages in here to help you." Pepper got to work with Tony's small injuries. She started lifting up his shirt, but there was something that was off about this whole thing. As she placed an alcohol pad against his wounds, something Tony didn't exactly enjoy very much, she asked, "Tony? Why is there a panther in the forest? Especially in the suburbs of New York." Tony looked at his ribs and back at her.

"Why don't you give me those pads." He quickly swiped them from her hands and began rubbing away at himself. "And, I don't know. Now that you mention it, I don't remember ever remembering any panthers that are supposed to be here." He paused, his eyes widening. Pepper knew that look very well.

"What?"

"I was wondering why the panther moved so fast. And did you look at its eyes by any chance?" Pepper pondered that and suddenly her mouth opened into an "O."

"Yes! I thought… you may find this ridiculous, but I think it zoomed up on me." Tony nodded, his eyes darkened again.

"It wasn't a real panther Pepper. You mother… JANICE!" He fixed himself quickly, "Janice set that out to spy on us. Remember how she knew exactly where to hit me with her knife? No one knew about my arc reactor other than Bobby Boo." Pepper cocked her head.

"Who's Bobby Boo?" Tony responded with a chuckle.

"Bobby Boo is a close friend of my dad. He knew me ever since I grew up. He, actually, helped build my arc reactor. In this whole city, Bobby Boo and me are the only ones who actually build stuff. And the way that panther attacked me? It was the work of Bobby Boo himself." Pepper straightened up. She took the bloody pads in her hands and put them aside, pondering. She began getting her large bandages out of her pack before looking up at Tony.

"So I guess we know where to start. If we find Bobby Boo, assuming Janice hadn't killed him, we could find out what other stuff Janice was plotting. And exactly what she wants from all of us." Tony nodded and watched carefully as Pepper placed the bandage on his ribs. She gave it a good pat, and dusted off her hands.

"We better get going then." She said quietly. Tony nodded and gently stood up. He doubled over from the pain, only for a moment, before slipping his backpack onto his shoulders. It was comforting to know that there was something familiar bouncing on his shoulder blades.

It was about time they got out of the forest. But as usual, a small robin perched on a branch, watched as the couple walked away. It squawked in defiance, if it was possible for it to feel any emotions, and set off towards its owner.

**Yes yes yes… Don't start with me and my cliffhangers. That's how I prefer ending all my stories, thank you very much! **** Anyway… I have a lot of homework that needs to be done… ADIOS! Oh and, por favor (please), REVIEW! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Run

**Okay so I've looked through all my stories and realized SO MANY PEOPLE LIKED THIS STORY! Thank you thank you thank you! But one request: Please review guys! Please? **** I would love to get some more reviews from those who follow my story! So… yeah… **

** I have been gone longer than I thought I have. Normally I make an effort to update my stories every week, but I haven't. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you guys, it's just that school really sucks and they have loaded projects on us like there is no tomorrow. I thought I could finally relax, but I was wrong. So yeah… I'm so sorry guys. **

** I also must apologize to my dear friend (you know who you are) who has been PMing me so many times, but I haven't still responded back. I'm so sorry…. Okay, so here is goes.**

**Disclaimer: I got nothing…**

The bird returned to its owner. The mechanical bird's eyes zoomed in and out, regaining its focus. "There you are my little creation." Janice stepped forward and gently took the bird into her hands. She turned the mechanical bird around and smiled. "I see you have something for me to see. Am I right?" The bird squawked. Janice found a cable and plugged one end into the computer and another into the bird's foot. The red robin shuddered and powered down.

"_We have to go to Bobby Boo's." _Janice growled. How dare… How dare he sleep with his daughter?! And, that pathetic excuse for a panther didn't do anything to kill Tony. Now Stark was on her tail and knew exactly what was going on. She needed a new plan.

"You'll get no where Stark." Janice said stroking the mechanical bird's red wings. "You will wish you never met my daughter.

…

Tony needed some water. It was a hundred degrees outside and the weather was humid. Pepper was looking the same way. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was beaded with sweat. "How much further?" Pepper asked. Her eyes fluttered.

"Pepper. Sit down." Pepper shook her head. Tony grasped her shoulders. With a push, he pushed her to the ground. "I don't know. We have to get out the forest first. When we do, then we can think about the rest. For now, take off your jacket." Pepper didn't even hesitate. She yanked off the black jacket and threw it down next to her.

"So much better. Is there any water in there?" Pepper asked raising her head. Tony pulled out a bottle and tossed it. His chest ached. Mainly because of that stupid panther, but it was his heart. Tony had created a self-sustaining heart implant, whereas his old one needed to be plugged in occasionally, his new implant had its own energy to run off of. But it hurt; it was as if there was a fire growing inside of him. Without meaning to, he groaned.

"Tony? You okay?" Pepper stood up and draped her coat over her arm. Tony nodded and snatched the water bottle out of Pepper's hands. He chugged it down. "Jeez. Tony, you don't look so good." Tony frowned and looked away.

"Faster we get to Bobby Boo, the better." Tony grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. His chest was on fire. It hurt so much that his thoughts had become enveloped in pain. He wanted to roll up into a ball and cry, that or just pull out the implant and die. It was killing him.

"Tony. You really don't look so hot. You should-" Pepper was cut off. They had walked out of the forest, and landed in the middle of a sidewalk. Pedestrians gave them second looks but didn't say much. This was New York after all.

"I know where to go from here." Tony said. He quickly weaved in and out of the crowds; Pepper's hand was still in his own. Cars honked, and the sun continued to glare down at them. Tony led her nearly all over Manhattan. He would take one turn, then another, and another. Sometimes the streets became dark, and sometimes the sun continued to glow down at them. Pepper was scared most of the time because of where Tony had taken her.

After what seemed like hours, Tony finally stopped in front of a small street shop. A faded sign loosely hanged in front of the store, and sales covered the windows. "Bobby Boo's. This place used to be the top business." Without another word, Tony opened the door. A bell dinged on top of Pepper's head.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Someone shouted. Pepper dove behind Tony and watched as a potbelly man in faded blue overalls came out under the counter. In his hands was a shotgun. "WHO ARE YOU?" He shouted. The man had a shaggy beard and circular spectacles that sat low on his nose.

Tony held his hands out in front of him. "Easy. Bobby. It's me."

"It's WHO?" Bobby yelled back.

"Tony. Tony Stark." Bobby gave Tony a confused look. "Anthony Edward Stark?" Bobby's gun fell to the ground. Tears flowed down Bobby's chubby face.

"Anthony? Tony? Is—Is that really you?" Tony smiled and nodded. Bobby ran to Tony and enveloped him. Bobby was only slightly taller than Tony by possibly a couple of centimeters. Tony patted Bobby's back and pulled away.

"What's going on Bobby? How has it been going?" Bobby's face suddenly fell.

"Oh Tony. It was wonderful whenever your father and you came around to the shop. It was fun to build that heart monitor of yours. How is it?" Bobby asked gesturing to Tony's chest. Tony smiled and pulled up his shirt revealing a bright blue glow of the heart monitor. "My oh my Tony. It is gorgeous."

"Thank you Bobby. What's going on? You look like a mess." Bobby sighed.

"Tony my boy. That's what happens if you end up working with the wrong people. This lady with bright red hair came in here. She was pretty, mind you, and leaned against my counter. In an instant she put a gun to my head and made me make these mechanical creatures. First a panther, well actually something close to a panther. Built in camera, full motion, and even a roar like one. I wasn't supposed to question anything. The lady stayed right by me until I finished the job. Then she left." Tony hadn't interrupted the whole time.

"She left just like that? With a panther?"

"No. And a bird, a robin. It was to be built the same way like the panther. Why are you asking me this Tony?" Bobby had led the teens to the back of his shop. He handed them both a cup of coffee and a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. Pepper was silent the entire time. She occasionally sipped the coffee and bit the soft and chewy cookies.

"This is Pepper. Pepper Bobby Boo." Bobby shook her hand and gave her a warm smile.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Bobby." Bobby nodded. "And that woman that came to your shop? That was my mom." In an instant Bobby frowned and took a step back.

"Your mother?"

"Trust me Mr. Bobby. I have no intention what so ever in hurting you. I want to find my mom and make her pay. She killed my dad." Pepper looked down at her coffee. The steam curled off the ends of the cup. Pepper reached for another cookie. She bit into it, but the cookie tasted like cardboard.

"I'm so sorry dearest." Bobby sat across from Pepper and Tony in a chair. He reached for her hand and gave it a firm pat.

"That's why we are here Bobby." Tony said. His coffee was finished and was sitting on the table. The cookies were still spread out on the plate. "We are hoping that you knew anything about Janice." Bobby raised his eyebrow. "Oh, Pepper's mom. We need to find her Bobby. She almost killed Pepper and me with that panther you made. And we don't blame you either so, please." Bobby sighed and stood. He gingerly took Pepper's cup as well as Tony's and placed them in a sink.

"I told you. That lady was crazy. She never told me anything. But she went to the right each time she came back to see me. She always exited the same way. That's all I can tell you Tony. That's all I know." Tony sighed and stood up.

"Thank you Bobby." He gave him a shake hand and took Pepper's hand. "We have to get going. But after all this is over, I want to help you re-open this shop." Bobby nodded and walked them to the front of the store.

"Thank you Bobby." Pepper smiled and kissed his cheek. Bobby politely opened the door and watched as the couple walked down the sidewalk.

The moment the teens were out of sight Bobby scrambled inside and locked the door. He ran behind his counter and pulled out an old black phone. His hands shook as he dialed the number that was scribbled down on a yellow post it note. "Hello? Miss?" There was a pause. "Yes. Tony—Tony came here along with a red headed girl. They asked me about you. I told them nothing. Just some lies."

…

"You did the right thing Bobby. I'm proud of you. I can spare you for another week, you earned it." Janice hung up and put her feet up on her desk. The hotel was perfect. It was in the middle of Manhattan, totally oblivious. She had to act fast, because she needed to kill Tony before they find her.

**Okay that's it! Well for this story. I have to update a lot more so yeah! Please review guys! And totally sorry for the long long wait! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Run**

**Yay! Update! It's like one in the morning... But I am writing for you guys:) y'all deserve it after the long break! Okay... So I'll be doing some shout outs in the upcoming chapters... So keep an eye out for that:) **

**Disclaimer: in all honesty, I wouldn't be here...**

Tony held onto Pepper's arm the whole way. He almost lost her once, and he wasn't about to let her go again.

The wound in his side ached and felt stiff against his skin. It was uncomfortable, but it was a small sacrifice. He only had a week, maybe 2, to find Janice.

"Tony... Please. I want- want to rest." Pepper pleaded. It was the middle of the day. The heat beat down on them as though the sun was right next to them.

Tony wanted to rest too. But he didn't want to risk getting caught, or worse, being found by Janice.

Tony noticed many things after he left the safety of the thickly guarded forest. For one, he was more self-conscious. He was always keeping an eye out and seemed to be aware of everything. Another, he was losing the only amount of trust he had for any of his friends. It was getting harder and harder for him, after all, Janice could be watching them RIGHT now. That scared Tony more than the fact that he could die any day at any time.

"Tony!" Pepper pleaded. She tugged on his sleeve that firmly held her arm. He slowed his pace.

"What is it Pepper?" Tony asked, not bothering to stop at all. Pepper coughed.

Her mouth felt dry and scratchy.

"I need some rest. The sun's too hot." She complained childishly. Tony looked back at her, his face red. He saw her eyes flutter, her cheeks were as red as her hair, and her pupils were dilated.

"Pepper drink some water. That'll make you feel better." He said reaching for her water bottle. He popped open the cap and gave it to her. Pepper took it without complaining and began chugging down the water. Some even dribbled down her chin. She wiped her mouth, but still had that glazed expression.

Tony didn't want the worst to happen to her on this hot day: heat stroke. So, he bent down a little and gestures Pepper to hop on his back. She did it without a single comment. The moment her arms were around his neck, she passed out, her head resting on his right shoulder. Tony shifted around, adjusting to the extra weight. He slipped his hands under her thighs and pushed her up on his back, making sure that she wouldn't slip. Then he set off.

He had no idea where he was going. Bobby told him that Janice went to the right any time she exited his store. But the right was completely abandoned. There was no sign of life anywhere. The boards of the old apartments were coming down. Debris carelessly fluttered across the street. In fact, the sun felt colder here. And, Pepper wasn't getting anywhere near lighter.

It was an hour later that Tony finally felt fatigue. His arms and legs turned to jelly, and every step seemed painful. Pepper was still passed out on his back, so nothing he could have done helped lessen the load. He couldn't put her down. His back cried, hoping for a break. But he couldn't give up just yet.

"Pepper…." Tony whispered. He pushed her with his hands, hoping to jolt her awake. But she was as dead as a doornail **(or is it doorknob?)**. "Please… Pepper…" Tony decided not to talk anymore. He could feel his heartbeat in every parts of his body. He couldn't walk anymore. He didn't even know how far he walked. Was this the right way? Did Bobby lie to him? No, Bobby wouldn't betray him. With that thought in mind, Tony fell to his knees. The weight was unbearable. Pepper seemed to have gained 100 pounds since he first carried her.

"Oh god, it hurts." He muttered to himself. It really did hurt. Falling to the ground might've scrapped his knees, but he felt so much better. Pepper fell behind him, still out cold. Tony, breathing hard, looked behind him at Pepper. He ran his hand on her head, moaning softly. Closing his eyes, he looked up at the darkening sky. "I wish I could pass out like you, Pep. You're a lucky—lucky…." And just like that, Tony's eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out right next to her.

…

Pepper remembered feeling weightless for a long time. She occasionally heard Tony's voice call out to her, but she assumed it was from her dream, so she let it pass. But when her head hit something painful, she finally stirred. "You're a lucky—lucky…" That was Tony. His hands were resting on her hair.

Pepper's eyes snapped open. She first saw the purple hues of the evening darkening the sky. She wanted to get up, but she felt amazing. Never in her life had she gotten so much sleep. It was almost dreamless, but she was still glad she had her dream. Tony and herself were kissing, and Rhodey was strapped in the corner of the room, duct tape on his mouth, and hands and feet bounded. It was awesome.

Eventually she pushed herself up onto her arms. She saw Tony next to her. He was on his side; his arms sprawled out towards her. His face was red, that poor dear, he must've carried her this whole time. His chest rose and fell, unevenly at first, but soon enough it set into an equal rhythm.

Pepper reached out and stroked his hair. "Tony? Tony, hey wake up…" He didn't budge. She could see he was breathing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't okay.

Suddenly, she felt as though someone was watching them. She turned. Getting to her feet, Pepper got near Tony and pulled him up with her. She slung his arm over her shoulder and dragged him behind her. "Pepper…" Someone cooed. A shiver ran down her spine and Pepper turned.

She knew that voice; she would always know that voice. "Janice… WHERE ARE YOU?" She screeched. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Pepper whipped around, only to stare right at her mom.

"Pepper. I've searched nearly everywhere for you!" Janice spoke softly. She tried reaching for Pepper's face, but Pepper took a step back. Tony was seriously starting to drag on her. It was getting harder and harder to hold him up. Janice noticed him.

"You shouldn't trust that boy, Pepper. He will do nothing but break your kind heart." Janice, then, tried reaching out for Tony. But Pepper swatted her hand away.

"Keep your hands off him! Don't even think about touching him. I won't even look at you as a mother." Pepper tried stepping back again, but she tripped over Tony's leg. Stumbling, she fell to the floor.

"I don't plan on it. But I rather get you back. You deserve to stay with your mother. Good night Pepper." Janice pulled out something close to a gun. She pulled the trigger. And Pepper passed out.

**I don't exactly like this chapter… But hey, I got it out and that's all that matters to me! Here is the next chapter folks! Please please please review! **** I'm planning to do a shout out on my next chapter! **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Run

**Hooray! Okay… First things first. Thank you so, so much for all those fabulous reviews! I just, y'all don't know how happy I get! I'm pretty sure you guys hear that all the time, but really I feel so happy to read all those awesome reviews!**

** Some shout outs!**

**SilverPedals1402: You are an absolute sweetheart! Thank you! She is pretty evil! **

**Haytar96:** **I WISH! But that would just end the story now wouldn't it?:) Thank you so much for the review!**

**Firework471: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

**Both Guests: Haha! Thank you! So many fabulous questions! **

**xXSimplySunshineXx:** **YAY! AND I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE YOUR REVIEW! HAHA! Rhodey does…. But oh well. **** Wow, evil much! THANKS! I love cliffhangers…. MUHAHAHA!**

**Princessete: Okay, using some of my Spanish skills I'm going to do my best to decipher your awesome language! What do you speak? **** I hopefully updated quickly! **

**Disclaimer: I try and try! I WON'T GIVE UP! **

Pepper hadn't felt anything. She didn't feel any pain, just weightless. Pepper tried opening her eyes, but she remembered this feeling as that blissful moment when she would sleep in over the weekend. She was well rested.

"Pepper? I know you're awake dearest." A woman's voice spoke. In an instant, Pepper's eyes flew open. She felt a crick in her neck. She made a move to rub the sore spot, but realized her arm couldn't move.

She was tied down to a metal chair; ropes bound her arms to the armrest and ankles to the legs of the chair. Pepper pulled on the ropes and winced, they dug into her skin. "Where are you Janice?" She screamed.

It looked as though they were in a room, almost the size of a closet. There was a dangling ceiling lamp in the center of the ceiling. Pepper noticed how the room was fully covered in concrete, no doors, and no windows. There was only a camera on the left side corner of the wall. And on the right side, there was a small speaker. Janice must've spoke through there.

"Well, you are a smart girl. I'm sure you have figured it out by now." Janice mocked. Pepper's anger suddenly flared.

"WHERE'S TONY?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?" She yelled openly. She heard the speaker click on.

"Shh. You don't want to wake him up, now do you?" Janice said. Pepper raised an eyebrow, confused. But Tony wasn't- Oh no. She stared wide-eyed as she finally noticed her boyfriend in front of her.

He was tied up as she was, but there was some duct tape that sealed his mouth shut. He had a bruise forming on his cheek, arms, and a small one was visible around his neck. "No." She also noticed a trace of blood that ran down his arm, down his finger, and dripped onto the floor. So, the bullet ended up hitting Tony. She hoped it wasn't a bad wound.

"What did you do to him?" She whispered. She desperately wanted to get to Tony and help him. At least she wanted to stop the bleeding.

"Nothing. I merely placed him in the chair, Patricia."

"Pepper." Pepper corrected automatically. "It seems like you did much worse to him. Why? What did he ever do to you?" Pepper screamed. Tony hadn't done anything wrong. He shouldn't be the one that had to suffer through the endless pain and suffering.

"Oh, how clueless. Or maybe it was because your father never told you. I dated Tony's father in high school. Howard? What a coincidence that Tony laid his eyes on you. Anyway, Howard had told me, one day, that he wanted to move on. He found another girl. And I was dumped." Janice paused. Pepper could almost sense the anger in her mother's voice. "We were about to graduate. And there was a rumor that he was going to propose to me. Instead he found that messed up Maria chick."

"That was ages ago Janice! I don't see why you need to involve Tony in this! He hadn't done anything wrong to you!" Pepper retorted. She needed to make sure that Tony was safe. It was obvious that Janice wouldn't hurt her, but that wouldn't keep her from killing Tony.

"I killed his mother." Janice said smoothly. In an instant, Pepper felt the world spin, nausea and bile threatened to escape her. Her head spun, and it didn't seem as though her head would ever clear up.

"You what?" She managed to ask. Janice laughed into the speaker.

"Yes. I killed Maria. And well, Tony told the police. I was arrested for years. That was also when Virgil gave me the divorce. He said that he couldn't believe that I had killed an innocent bystander. But as you can see, it was because of Tony that I was away from your life. I'm doing this for you Pepper. You can't trust Tony. He is a Stark, like his pathetic father." Said Janice.

Pepper's head didn't cease spinning. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. If her arms weren't tied up, she would've, no doubt, thrashed both the speaker and the camera until they were nothing but scattered debris. She suddenly heard a moan.

Pepper's eyes flew open. _Tony. He's okay! Tony!_ She couldn't have felt more realized in her life. "Tony!" His eyes opened, but very slowly. His bright eyes flared in fear, but were quickly replaced with confusion. He moaned out again. He seemed to have finally realized that there was some tape on his mouth.

"No. It's okay! It's Janice. I don't know. Are you okay?" Pepper asked. Tony nodded, but suddenly scrunched his eyes in pain. He seemed to have gasped. He looked down at his arm and paled when he saw his blood. Tony rested his head on the top of the chair and seemed to be collecting his breath.

"Mmmm!" He said. Pepper looked his direction and saw him thrusting his chin at her.

"What? Oh me? I'm okay. I'm actually great." Pepper said. Tony rolled his eyes, which seemed to say: _Well, good for you Pepper. I'm glad you're okay. _

"Oh Tony. You seem to never understand that I want you away from Pepper. I'll teach you a lesson." Janice growled into the speaker. Suddenly, Tony wailed in agony. Pepper sharply glanced down and saw that Tony was thrashing in his chair. She didn't know why at first, until she saw a spark.

He was being electrocuted.

"STOP! NO! STOP! JANICE STOP!" Pepper pulled against the ropes. She felt it cut into her skin, but she realized that helped. Her blood lubricated her wrists, making it a bit easier for her to slip away from her bounds. The instant her arms were free it was easy for her to get her legs free.

"TONY!" She threw herself at the chair, and desperately attacked at his ropes. She heard the speaker click on.

"Tsk-tsk, Pepper. Don't even think about it." But when Janice saw Pepper freeing Tony's legs, she increased the voltage. If Tony could've yelled any louder, Pepper could've sworn the walls would have collapsed.

The moment Tony's legs were free, he slumped forward. His eyes rolled into his head, and he let out a sigh as he landed in Pepper's lap. He slipped into unconsciousness.

"You'll pay for that. You'll pay for that!" Pepper murmured. But Pepper was afraid. If Janice could've done this to him, she didn't want to know what else she would do to him. It may end up killing him for good.

"I don't think so. But I will make a deal with you, dearest." Janice said softly. Pepper gritted her teeth. But she responded.

"What?"

"You promise me that you will remain with me forever, I will let him go. He will be free, and away from harm." Janice surely nailed the jackpot. Pepper gasped in alarm. But… She would never be able to see Tony ever again; Janice would make sure of it. But, Pepper knew what she had to do.

"You also have to make a deal, Janice." Pepper spoke finally.

"And what would that be?"

"You can never touch Tony again. You have to promise you will never harm him again." Pepper heard Janice chuckle.

"Very well. I accept." Suddenly the room was starting to fill with green smoke. Pepper began to feel drowsy. She gasped, no. She wasn't even able to say goodbye to Tony!

She, then, quickly pulled Tony into a deep kiss. It might even be her last one, but she wasn't about to let that slip away. She tried implanting his soft, warm lips into her mind. His smell. How his lips felt on hers. The taste of them. And most of all his beautiful face, anything that would keep her remembering. She would never forget him, she would make sure of it.

"I—I—Love you Tony." Then she fainted.

**TADA! Whoops, another cliffhanger. I'm just anxious for those reviews! I can't wait! **** Well thank you for reading! I'll be having some other stories coming up soon! Any ideas which story I should update next? **** Well… TOODLES! **


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